'QCaaS Will Drive the Next Phase of India's Quick Commerce Growth': In conversation with Mr. Madhav Kasturia, Founder & CEO, Zippee

Quick Commerce as a Service (QCaaS) is emerging as the next frontier in India's evolving quick commerce landscape, enabling brands to offer marketplace-grade delivery experiences while retaining ownership of their customers, data, and brand experience. As consumer expectations for instant fulfillment continue to rise, QCaaS is helping D2C brands scale faster without investing heavily in logistics infrastructure. In this interview, Mr. Madhav Kasturia, Founder & CEO, Zippee, shares how QCaaS is reshaping the future of quick commerce, the role of AI and automation in building smarter fulfillment networks, and why brand-led quick commerce will define the next phase of growth in India's retail ecosystem.

1. Do you believe the next wave of quick commerce growth will be driven by platforms or by brands building their own quick commerce experience through QCaaS? Why?

Answer:

The first wave of quick commerce growth was driven by consumer platforms because they made speed and convenience mainstream. The next wave will increasingly be driven by brands building their own quick commerce capabilities. Consumers care about getting products quickly, regardless of where they buy them, while brands want to retain first-party customer data, control the customer experience and build long-term loyalty. QCaaS bridges that gap by giving brands access to rapid fulfilment without requiring heavy investments in logistics infrastructure. I believe both models will continue to grow, but brand-led quick commerce will become a much larger part of the ecosystem.

2. How is technology transforming quick commerce from a logistics function into a strategic growth engine for brands?

Answer:

 Technology has transformed quick commerce from a delivery capability into a business growth engine. Today, it powers everything from inventory placement and demand forecasting to fulfilment efficiency and customer experience. Faster and more reliable fulfillment improves conversion, repeat purchases and retention. When combined with first-party customer data, it enables brands to make better merchandising, marketing and inventory decisions, making quick commerce a strategic capability rather than just a logistics function.

3. What advantages does Zippee's QCaaS model offer D2C brands that want to deliver a marketplace, like experience through their own websites and apps

Answer:

The biggest advantage is that brands no longer have to choose between speed and customer ownership. QCaaS allows them to offer a marketplace-like delivery experience while continuing to sell through their own websites and apps. This helps brands retain first-party customer data, control the end-to-end customer journey and build stronger customer relationships. Instead of investing heavily in fulfillment infrastructure, they can leverage an established network. Today, brands such as ITC, Kapiva, Vaaree, The Whole Truth, Myntra Now, Clinikally, HUL and Haldiram's are already leveraging this model. Depending on the category, brands have also seen up to 95% lower RTOs and 2–4x sales growth through faster fulfillment.

4. As AI transforms retail operations, what innovations is Zippee investing in to make quick commerce smarter and more scalable?

Answer:

We see AI as an enabler across the entire fulfillment journey rather than a standalone feature. We are investing in AI agents for customer support, internal operations and control tower capabilities to improve decision-making, operational visibility and overall efficiency. As these capabilities evolve, AI will help automate routine workflows, optimize resource allocation and make fulfillment more responsive and scalable for both brands and consumers.

5. How would you describe Zippee's role in India's evolving commerce ecosystem?

Answer:

We see Zippee as the infrastructure layer that is democratising Blinkit-grade logistics for D2C brands, platforms and marketplaces. Not every brand can build a nationwide quick commerce network, but every brand should have access to the same delivery capabilities. Our role is to make rapid fulfillment accessible, allowing brands to compete on customer experience while continuing to own their customer relationships. 

6. What emerging technologies, AI agents, computer vision, digital twins, or robotics, do you believe will have the biggest impact on fulfillment over the next five years?

Answer: 

Over the next five years, I believe AI agents will have the biggest impact because they can automate decisions across customer support, operations and fulfillment in real time. Computer vision will improve inventory accuracy and warehouse operations, while robotics will become increasingly relevant in high-volume fulfilment centres as order density increases. Digital twins also have significant potential by allowing companies to simulate fulfillment networks and optimize inventory placement before making operational changes. Together, these technologies will make fulfillment faster, more accurate and more cost-efficient.

7. What opportunities do you see as quick commerce expands into categories like beauty, fashion, healthcare, electronics, and premium consumer goods?

Answer: 

The biggest opportunity is that quick commerce is evolving from a grocery-first model into a convenience-first model. Consumers increasingly expect fast delivery across categories such as beauty, healthcare, electronics and premium products, not just everyday essentials. This significantly expands the addressable market for brands while creating new use cases beyond emergency purchases. Brands that can combine speed with a strong direct customer relationship will be well positioned to increase repeat purchases, customer lifetime value and overall growth.

8. Zippee’s future plans for 2027.

 Answer:

Our focus for 2027 is to continue expanding our QCaaS infrastructure and help more brands offer quick commerce through their own channels. We will continue strengthening our fulfillment network while investing in technology and automation to improve speed, operational efficiency and scalability. Our long-term vision is to make quick commerce infrastructure as accessible to brands as cloud infrastructure is for technology companies, enabling businesses of every size to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

9. If you had to predict one major shift in consumer behavior or commerce that will redefine the industry by 2030, what would it be, and how is Zippee preparing for it?

Answer:

By 2030, consumers will stop thinking in terms of online, offline or quick commerce - they will simply expect products to be available instantly, regardless of where they choose to shop. Speed will become a basic expectation rather than a competitive advantage. Brands that own the customer relationship while consistently delivering that level of convenience will have a lasting edge. Zippee is preparing for that future by building the infrastructure that enables brands to offer fast, reliable fulfillment through their own channels, giving them the flexibility to meet changing consumer expectations without building the entire logistics ecosystem themselves.